An interesting segment of this week’s TED Radio Hour on NPR. In this segment, Alain de Botton explains what he calls “Atheism 2.0”. It sounds quite similar to what TVCJ does. Click this link and then click on “Listen to the Story”.
http://www.npr.org/2013/11/22/245957052/what-can-atheism-learn-from-religion
Tired of Passover seders that last till midnight? We have got the one for you…lots of singing, humanistic text and nice company. Join us at the Bothwell Center on April 19 at 5 pm for a potluck seder.
Today at Jewish Culture School we continued our study of the Golden
Age of Spain by making Eggplant/Caper salad…it was a big hit! We
also made mosaics to represent the architecture of the time and
tested our knowledge of the smells and sights of a variety of spices
as the Jews were involved in the spice trade. Of course we sang and
listened to a ballad from the time period and talked about music in
Spain as well. We also shared ways that we filled our own buckets by
filling those of people around us. We started talking about how it
feels to help people we don’t know as well as our family members.
TVCJ joins the American Jewish World Service in urging you to get involved in a movement here in the U.S. that aims to end violence against women and girls, stop hate crimes against LGBT people, and hasten the end of child marriage around the globe.
Join @AJWS for a celebration of #Chanukah and the launch of its new campaign promoting the rights of women, girls and LGBT people worldwide on December 9 from 7-9PM at Brick and Mortar Music Hall in San Francisco!
Space is limited, so reserve your space today!
http://bit.ly/1c6ONlt
Rosh Hashanah: Wednesday evening, Sept. 4 at 7:00 p.m. Program of music and readings in English followed by traditional apples & honey. Child-friendly. Suggested donation is $10 per adult for those who are not members of TVCJ. (No charge for children.) We are also collecting canned or boxed food for the food bank.
What’s a Secular Jew? Sunday morning, Sept. 8 at 10:30 a.m. Bagel brunch and introduction to Secular Jewish life and Jewish Culture School. Are you uncomfortable in synagogue, but in your element at the deli, Mel Brooks movies and noisy political discussions? Are you looking for a community where you fit in? A way for your kids to learn about being Jewish without the demands of religious belief? learn about the history and practices of Secular Jews, hear about Jewish Culture School for children and meet members of the organization. There will be activities for children while the parents meet. Please let us know you’re coming, so we can make sure we have plenty of food!
Yom Kippur: Saturday, Sept. 14 from 2 – 5 p.m. (and we’ll go out for dinner together afterwards).The program consists of non-religious readings in English and music, followed by participatory workshops and a non-religious memorial ceremony. Suggested donation is $10 per adult for those who are not members of TVCJ. (No charge for children.) There will also be an opportunity to make charitable contributions to various international, national and local agencies. We’re also collecting canned and boxed goods for the food bank.
Sukkah raising brunch! Sunday, Sept. 22 at 1817 Sinclair Drive in Pleasanton. Potluck brunch. Bring a dish to share, a fruit or other decoration to hang in the sukkah and a branch for the roof (if you have one). Also collecting canned and boxed goods for food bank.
Holiday programs and informational meeting are held at the Bothwell Arts Center. 2466 8th St. in Livermore. Please let us know you are coming. Call us at 925 485 1049 or email reservations@Tri-ValleyCulturalJews.org.
You are cordially invited to J-West 2013 – Then, Now and Tomorrow: Reflections and Visions.
Kol Shalom is excited to be hosting this year’s conference in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, September 1 in Portland, Oregon. The conference will be held at University Place Hotel in downtown Portland. Click here for further details, and to download the registration packet. We will continue to post updates at the J-West website http://j-west.net/.
We look forward to seeing you there! Please let your friends know!
Mary Raskin, Kol Shalom
on behalf of the J-West 2013 planning committee
For questions or more information, contact conference organizers at jwestmeetup@ymail.com.
But to what? At the annual meeting, we agreed that Tri-Valley Cultural Jews no longer expresses who we really are. Our membership ranges far outside the Dublin-Pleasanton-Livermore area to include Brentwood, San Ramon, Fremont and Castro Valley, and we want people in the wider area to know they have a place to belong.
Two issues to resolve are whether we need to indicate our geographical area (“Tri-Valley) and how to describe ourselves (“Cultural Jews). Do we want to say where we are located, or will just a description suffice, as it does for our sister organization, Sholem, in Los Angeles. And do we name ourselves in English, Hebrew, Yiddish or a combination of all? And how do we express our core values in our name? Do we call ourselves Beit Yerushateynu (house of our heritage), Kehillat Tzedek (Justice Community) or Hiloni (freethinking)? Or do we say “cultural,” “secular,” “gods-free,” or “freethinkers?”
So, weigh in! Suggest names, pieces of names, combinations of names. Here’s a start: East Counties Jewish Freethinkers. Cultural Jews of the East Bay, Kehillat Hilonim.
Anyone can suggest a name – or several names, but only members can vote. (If you’d like to join, please let us know! We’d be delighted to welcome you into our community.)
